This 'n That Thursdays: Life in the Time of COVID-19

Meet the enemy - the COVID-19 virus magnified
(from Cedars Sinai)

Our nation is in the grip of a very serious pandemic, and we must all do what we can to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.  We can do this, everyone, as long as we are careful and try to follow all of the recommendations as well as we can.  Here is how my little New Mexico family is adhering to the rules:

Please do try to at least look happy about this, girls!

1) Sheltering in place: We are lucky that our home in Santa Fe is located in a remote rural area.  I only go into town once a week for essentials, and I am going to try to decrease that to once every two weeks.  The rest of the time I am at home, but I can go out on to our property any time, and I can still walk my dogs on our road twice daily.  It is quite easy to practice the second recommendation:

I think my girls take this recommendation to extremes -
they are way more than 6 feet away from me and each other!

2) Social distancing (approximately 6 feet apart): We rarely encounter our neighbors when we walk, but when we do it is not hard to practice social distancing.  This is a very important rule to follow for humans, but one that my girls do not understand at all - except when it comes to me!  They gladly run right up to any other humans and their dogs, but prefer to wander as far away from me as I will let them!

Ruby kindly agreed to pose despite not really caring for this procedure.

3) Frequent paw hand washing: I do this diligently, especially after my weekly trip to town, but the junior members of the family are not enthusiastic about this rule.  Luckily they do not go into town or otherwise expose their extremities to virus-infected environments!

Patient resignation from Ruby as she tolerated posing for a rule
that does not even apply to her.

4) Work from home: This rule does not really apply to us, but we do whole-heartedly endorse this recommendation because it does apply to my family members in other states.  I wish my doctor brother could do this as well, but he must go to his workplace, so I hope that PPE supplies for those putting themselves at risk become more readily available as soon as possible.

Madison posed for this one, even though she vastly prefers close personal
contact (is that a touch of disgusted disbelief I see in those eyes?).

5) Keep in touch virtually with loved ones: Even though we must distance ourselves socially, we can still keep in touch and support one another via phone calls and texts, plus a vast array of social media and other internet connections (my husband is a recent convert to Zoom, and I suppose I should check it out).

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Recently I found the first spring blooms on our property.  Our weather is now much milder, and spring is definitely in the air!  Even though it looks as though the sheltering in place recommendation here in New Mexico will be extended until the end of April, the girls and I are happy to comply.  We will enjoy our first spring here and wait patiently in hopes that all of the rules we are asked to follow will help to bring COVID-19 under control.  Stay safe and healthy, everyone, and stay optimistic that we will come through this and get back to a more normal world sooner rather than later.